The portable reel-to-reel tape recorder Melodiya MG-56 became a symbol of Soviet precision engineering in its time. Created at the Novosibirsk factory "Tochmash" in 1956, it went on mass sale in 1958. It was soon noticed that it looked a lot like the German Grundig TK-820/3D tape recorder.
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Article editor - Mark Beygelzimer, PhD, systems analyst, head of the Trust but Verify project.
Facts
Externally, the two tape recorders differed only in color scheme, markings and the presence of two additional knobs associated with the built-in FM radio on the German model (see Fig. 1, 2). Other elements, including the shape and size of the case, the arrangement of indicators, buttons, controls, even the carrying handle, were identical.
Although the internal components-mechanics and circuitry-were not exact copies, they were very similar; the main differences were related to the different types of electronic tubes used.
Accordingly, all the technical specifications of the Melodiya MG-56 [1, p. 143; 2, p. 40] and the Grundig TK-820/3D [3] were virtually identical.
Fig. 1. Top view of two tape recorders: on the left - Melody MG-56 (photo from Zen), on the right - Grundig TK-820/3D (photo from Radiomuseum)
The similarities in both appearance and internals leave no doubt that one of the devices was based on the other.
Given that the German model was released in 1955, i.e. a year earlier than the Soviet model, it can be assumed that the Soviet engineers borrowed technical solutions from their German colleagues. Although no documentary evidence of this has been found, the presence of FM radio in the German model, placed in a similar case, gives additional reasons to believe that the original was the Grundig TK-820/3D, and Melodiya MG-56 was its copy.
Fig. 2. Frontal view of two tape recorders: on the left - Melodiya MG-56 (photo from blogger.com), on the right - Grundig TK-820/3D (photo from Radiomuseum)
Probably, the copying was done by the method known today as "reverse engineering": having taken apart the Grundig TK-820/3D into parts, they created the corresponding drawings, made the necessary changes and recreated the device as Melody MG-56. What is crucial is the fact that this copying was done without the proper authorization of Grundig. At least in the publicly available technical documentation for the Melodiya MG-56 tape recorder there is no reference to a license or permission from Grundig.
Conclusion
The main technical solutions in the Soviet tape recorder Melodiya MG-56 were borrowed from the German Grundig TK-820/3D. There is no information in public sources about obtaining official authorization for such borrowing.
Information sources
1. G.I. Gladyshev. Tape recorders. Reference book. Kyiv: Naukova Dumka, 1969, 241 p. [in Russian]
2. N.V. Kurbatov, E.B. Yanovsky. Reference book on tape recorders. Mass Radio Library (MRB). Issue 745. Moscow: Energia, 1970, 70 p. [in Russian]
3. Grundig Tonband-Koffer TK-320/3D. Service Manual
On the cover: a shot from the Soviet film comedy "Beware of the Car" (Mosfilm, 1966), in which Andrei Mironov's character (left) offers Galina Volchek's character (right) an imported Grundig TK-820 tape recorder. By the way, in fact, its Soviet "twin" Melodiya MG-56 is in the frame.
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